There are a whole lot of variables that comes into play when trying to do decide when to have your weight gainer. Depending on your workout routine, eating schedule and general day-to-day activities, the time at which you’ll have your weight gainer will vary! The type of mass gainer you use too will have a strong effect on when you should have it. Having a carbohydrate-rich gainer right after a workout isn’t quite as effective as one that has more protein.
Ideally, you want to have your weight gainer right after a workout. Most of the time that is. Mass gainers typically pack in hefty amounts of protein and BCAAs in them, which help hugely with muscular growth. These are the building blocks that your muscles need in order to thrive and grow!
You have a two hour window after your workout ends to deliver the much needed nutrients to your muscles. With that being said, it’s ideal to get your proteins in within even 45 minutes to maximize the growth of your muscles. You wouldn’t be doing any harm by taking it after that window, however the benefits for muscle growth are drastically emphasized if taken immediately after a workout.
Many people also decide to take their mass gainer before sleep, or directly after waking up. Though there’s no concrete evidence as to what is best, it’s recommended to change when you have it based on the gainer you use.
It Depends On Which Mass Gainer You Have
There are some mass gainers which actually have zero carbohydrates, fats, proteins and such and focus instead on giving your muscles a huge amount of supplements instead. One example of this would be the Animal Pak M Stak. A mass gainer like this would be ideal for those who want to gain a huge amount of strong muscle while keeping body fat % at a minimum. It’s recommended to take something like this right before a workout.
A mass gainer which focuses on having a large amount of protein in it would be much better to have immediately after a workout. Before a workout, it may be too heavy and may result in cramping or sluggish performance. Within the 2 hour anabolic window is the best time to take a protein-focused gainer.
If you have a weight gainer that’s super dense in carbohydrates and high in calories, having it right after waking up or in the afternoon will provide you with much more benefit. The extra energy will come in handy as it’ll help fuel you with energy throughout the whole day, however it won’t be the best pick to have post-workout as it has no proteins. Check our full list of the best weight gainers.
To Summarize
It depends really! There are some factors which come into play that’ll affect when you should have it. Ideally, a protein dense shake is best to have right after a workout, capturing the anabolic window. A gainer with mostly carbohydrates is best in the morning or before a workout, while a weight gainer like the M Stak is best to have at any point in the day.